Saturday, December 26, 2009

KC barred from action until probe

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department on Thursday formally asked the Kinnaird College (KC) principal not to remove or surrender any faculty member until the committee formed by the college’s Board of Governors submits its report.The KC Board of Governors (BoG) had formed a three-member committee on December 5, to investigate the allegations levelled by the faculty members against appointment of the KC registrar. The faculty members, in a letter addressed to the BoG chairman, dated 28 October, 2009, had alleged that the appointment of Dr Naima Khurshid as Registrar of Kinnaird College was unjustified. A copy of the letter bearing signatures of 97 KC teachers was made available to The News on Thursday. In the letter, addressed to BoG’s Chairman Dr Alexander John Malik, the faculty members expressed strong resentment over the appointment of Dr Naima as registrar, making it clear that she was not acceptable in any of the administrative capacities at the college. They further maintained that her previous professional record and references in the Queen Mary College were overlooked by the principal at the time of her induction. The teachers had also alleged that the tenure of Dr Naima at KC had been full of questionable activities including an inquiry against her in 2008 when she was appointed as Resident Inspector in Intermediate Examinations. However, on December 23, KC Principal Dr Bernadette L Dean fired seven teachers, repatriating four heads of different departments, since they were government employees, to the Punjab government and terminating services of three others serving on contract basis. It is pertinent to mention that Dr Dean had denied allegations of unjustified appointment of the registrar, claiming that no teacher was victimized and the decision was taken in the best interest of the college. She also rejected the allegation levelled against her, reports say. According to the sources in the department, Higher Education secretary Ahad Khan Cheema took a serious notice of the removal of seven teachers, asking the principal to ‘abstain’ from any action against teachers as her own conduct was under question. The principal was asked not to take any action even against contract teachers since the BoG had ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities on complaint of the teachers, the sources added. They said, after the constitution of the inquiry committee, the KC teachers had also submitted an application to the department, the inquiry committee and the BoG, alleging that they were being threatened of dire consequences ever since the initiation of the probe. A KC faculty member, seeking anonymity, said the principal had removed seven teachers on last working day ahead of winter and Christmas holidays fearing any resentment from the students. She added the news had created great anxiety among the students who had been sending SMSs through mobile phones to all the teachers expressing complete solidarity with them. When contacted, the Punjab Higher Education Department secretary, Ahad Khan Cheema, confirmed that the KC Principal had formally been asked not to take action against any teacher until the submission of inquiry report as it would be taken as ‘a conflict of interests’. “The principal had also been asked not to remove even teachers serving on contract basis,” he added. Talking to The News, Dr Bernadette L Dean said she did not know about the letter from the department since the college was closed, adding, “I’ll only know when the college reopens after the vacation”.

Source: The News International
Friday, December 25, 2009

KC shows door to seven teachers

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE: The administration of Kinnaird College for Women on Wednesday terminated the services of three of its faculty members, repatriating four others to the Punjab government.

According to sources, the faculty members along with some others had pointed fingers at the alleged irregularities in recent admissions, besides showing strong resentment over the appointment of Naima Khursheed as the college’s registrar and head of examination department.

A faculty member, seeking anonymity, said the KC Board of Governors in its meeting held on December 5, had constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate different allegations leveled by some faculty members. The ‘action’ against teachers is being taken as a victimization act by the administration, the source said, adding that the teachers had reservation over the said committee as no representative from the education department was part of it.

The faculty members repatriated to the Higher Education Department include Saira Malik, Head of Political Science Department, Shibba Syed, Head of Urdu Department, Farrukh Sohail, Head of Islamic Studies Department and Helen Khokhar, Head of Physics Department

The faculty members whose contract services were terminated include Sadaf Munir and Asma Jamil from the Psychology Department and Zarina Rizvi from Urdu Department.

Talking to The News, Sadaf Munir said the teachers were victimized only because they had raised their voice against the administration’s unjust and unfair policies, including the appointment of Naima Khursheed as college’s registrar. She even claimed the said official was earlier removed by Queen Marry College over allegations of corruption. Sadaf Munir alleged the admissions were made even in October and November, despite the fact the process was completed in September. “They are replacing the best with the worst” she commented, saying those serving on contract were not issued any notices as required by the rules. She also alleged that the administration was asking the teachers to remain silent, issuing threats of consequences.

When contacted, KC Principal Dr Bernadette L Dean denied the allegations, saying no one was victimized. The college administration is free to keep or let someone go, the KC being a private institution, she added.

She said some faculty members were repatriated as the administration was planning to induct highly qualified teachers as faculty members. She said the position of registrar was advertised and the appointment was made purely on merit.

She refuted the allegation that contracts were yet not expired, saying Sadaf Munir had even applied for renewal of her contract.

Dr Dean said two of the faculty members were serving the college on contract after their retirement, adding one of them, Asma Jamil, had even asked her (Principal) to relieve her.

She said, during an interview with students sometime ago, she had held Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi as her ideal, adding, unfortunately, some faculty members were busy in propaganda against her since then,

To a question, she said the fact-finding committee constituted by the KC BoG had yet to submit its report. Those leveling allegations had even taken a U-turn in the said meeting, claiming their signatures on complaints were forged, she said.

When contacted, Punjab Higher Education Department secretary Ahad Khan Cheema said the department had yet to receive the repatriation orders. However, he added, the KC principal was advised to hold-on until the inquiry committee submitted its report as the conduct of administration was under question.

“At this time, it simply looks like clash of interests”, he commented.

He said the KC was neither a government nor totally private institute, adding it was being run under a special arrangement with its representation from different government departments, including education, finance and law, on its BoG. Naima Khursheed was not available for comments.


Source: The News International
Thursday, December 24, 2009

Kinnaird College students complain of mismanagement in examinations

By Khalid Khattak

LAHORE:Some students of the Kinnaird College for Women have pointed out insufficient arrangements in the ongoing internal examinations, alleging the mismanagement was creating problems for them.

Seeking anonymity for obvious reasons, they said the issue needed to be highlighted as they believed it was against the traditions of Kinnaird College (KC).

During a visit to the KC on Thursday, it was learnt that around 450 students in first shift and around 650 in the second were accommodated in five rooms for the exam, each room having the capacity of not more than 70 students.

Interestingly, only two teachers were performing the duties as invigilators, the students complained saying later three lower grade staffers of the principal office were also assigned the duty.

The students also complained that the shortage of photocopies of question papers remained a routine matter during the exams which added to their miseries. Such irresponsible attitude had exposed the credibility of the exams, they said.

Nevertheless, they said, Physics paper of FSc classes was delayed on last day of intermediate exams on Thursday for over 40 minutes, causing great anxiety among the students.

The Intermediate exams starting from December 8 concluded on December 17 (Thursday) while bachelors’ exams started from December 14 and would end on December 19 (Saturday).

They said the mismanagement during exams of senior students was quite unfortunate as unlike intermediate level students they were in fact attempting their semester wise annual exams.

It is pertinent to mention that KCites had been raising the issue regarding the lack of facilities in the college. The KC students also highlighted the issue of fee hike, lack of facilities during their protest in May, 2008, demanding the college administration provide maximum facilities to them.

A faculty member, seeking anonymity, said teachers of bachelors classes were appointed as invigilators at a time when classes of bachelor programmes were still going on, affecting the studies of students and causing delay in intermediate exams on daily basis.

This correspondent tried to contact KC Principal Dr Bernadette L Dean in her office on Thursday but was denied entry as she was busy in a meeting. Later, an effort on the principal’s cell phone also went futile as she did not attend the call.

However, talking to The News on cell phone on Wednesday, Dr Dean had denied any mismanagement in the exams. She said the exams were being held as per schedule as mentioned in the college prospectus.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Source: The News International